Pregame Preview: Padres host Giants in second-half opener

The Padres open the second half Thursday night at Petco Park (7:05 p.m.; TV: 4 San Diego) with the first of four games against the reigning World Series champion San Francisco Giants.

The Padres will be going with the same cast that finished the first half with five straight losses.

The Padres season turned upside down when these teams met early next week for four games in San Frasncisco. The Padres won the first two games by 5-3 scores and were leading by the identical score in the third game when their offense hit the brakes.

It didn’t restart over the final 44 innings leading into the All-Star Game. Instead of winning the third game of the series and pulling to within seven games of the Giants, the Padres lost five straight going into the break and are 12 games behind of the division leaders and reigning World Series champions.

GIANTS (52-40) at PADRES (40-52)

Time: 7:05 p.m. / Game 1 of 4

TV: 4 San Diego.

Radio: 1090-AM, 1700-AM, 860-AM (Spanish)

PITCHING MATCHUP

Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner (4-9, 3.87 ERA in 18 starts)

Bumgarner vs. the Padres: 0-2 career, 3.86 ERA in six games, five starts (0-1 this season, 8.00 ERA in two starts).

Bumgarner at Petco Park: 0-2 career, 3.00 ERA in three games, two starts (0-1 this season, 9.00 ERA in one start).

Bumgarner, 21, was the starting pitcher at AT&T Park in San Francisco July 6 when the Giants rallied from a 5-3 deficit to defeat the Padres 6-5 in 14 innings. He lost his only start at Petco Park this season to Aaron Harang on April 5, allowing three runs on five hits in three innings.

Harang, 33, returned from the disabled list last Saturday afternoon at Dodger Stadium and held the Dodgers to no hits over six innings. He walked three and struck out six. He finished with 95 pitches after needing 37 to get out of the first inning. It was Harang’s first outing since June 9. He had been on the disabled list with a stress fracture to the third metatarsal bone in his right foot. Harang faced the Giants once earlier this season, picking up the win in the home opener last April 5, holding San Francisco to one run on six hits over six innings.